


How Do You Write Like You're Running Out of Time?

by kyrakaekiwi



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Male Friendship, Other, Platonic Male/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29909220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyrakaekiwi/pseuds/kyrakaekiwi
Summary: Dream's been working hard. And Sapnap's worried.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Kudos: 30





	How Do You Write Like You're Running Out of Time?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is basically just a way for me to work through some of my own stuff but I like it so I thought someone else would. 
> 
> I find it really comforting/helpful to imagine how some of my favs would deal with similar issues to myself but if I see anything about boundary issues I'll change or delete this.

“Dream? Clay? Did you hear me?”

Dream’s consciousness faded back in, suddenly aware of the screens in front of him and how much his shoulders ached. He blinked a few times and turned towards the noise that had pulled him out of the images he could see in his head.

“What?” He said, almost a whisper.

“Clay, how long have you been working? It’s early. You didn’t come to dinner.”

The image Dream saw slowly sharpened, only the light from the computers illuminating the concerned face of his friend hovering at the door.

“Sapnap? What time is it?” Dream knew he’d been busy, always chasing deadline after deadline. But he wasn’t even close to done. 

_Just talk for a minute and he’ll be gone. You can get back to me. You can get back to what’s important._ The voice said. That voice was always there, always nagging. But it was a good thing. It pushed him further and further to what he wanted. Dream needed the voice.

“Almost 2. I thought you’d gone to bed but it sounded like you were beating up your keyboard. You can type real fast when you want to, dude.”

Sapnap smiled a little at that, trying to lighten the mood. But he could feel the frenzy pouring off of Dream in waves. It always scared him a little when his friend got like this but they’d been through it enough times that he knew when to step in and when to step back. He wasn’t sure what kind of time this one was yet.

Dream rubbed his eyes.

“Fuck.” He said softly. “I just wanted to finish the sweater design. I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”

Dream looked back at the screen, his eyes unable to see what the words said now that he had been pulled out of the flow.

“Sap…? What am I working on?”

Sapnap slowly walked over and put his hand on Dream’s shoulder, peering down at the multiple tabs open.

“Seems like...a list of possible new mods, I think you finished the hoodie and started on the next coin, and…” Sapnap took the mouse and clicked through a few of the open files. “About seven new plot ideas for the SMP.” He whistled, impressed but now even more concerned.

“Damn dude, that’s a lot done. You could probably sleep for the next week and still be ahead of everyone.” Once more Sapnap tried to laugh a little, looking back at Dream, who was staring at the floor again, his hands twitching slightly.

_Don’t let him see! It’s not done, he can’t see until it’s done. There’s no way it’s perfect yet, you’ve only been working for a few hours. Just a few hours more and it’ll be close. You’re almost done. You’re so close, only a little bit more…_

Once again the voice echoed in Dream’s head. It surrounded him, blocking out everything but the frenzy of thoughts, ideas, snippets that slipped farther and farther the longer it took him to get back to typing, clicking from page to page, typing up email after email.

“Is it happening again?” the whisper came. 

An outside thought. It didn’t make sense, this wasn’t his, he didn’t have the reasoning behind it, couldn’t tell where it was supposed to fit in, why was it important? It circled in Dream’s head, turning over and over as he tried to figure out why it was important.

“Clay.” 

This time something physical accompanied the sound. Dream looked around, not registering anything he saw until he found the stimuli. Sapnap was now kneeling in front of him, making sure Dream could easily see him when he was able to process things again, both his hands on Dream’s knees, fingers tapping to keep the awareness of the older boy.

“Clay. Is it happening again?” Sapnap asked, not judging but cautiously wondering.

“I can’t get rid of them. There’s so many ideas and if I don’t get them down I won’t remember and then I can’t do anything with them. I have so much I want to do.”

Dream could feel the frustration building, the discomfort on the back of his neck.

“Hey hey hey, it’s okay. You have so much time, Clay. You’re gonna be able to do it all, I promise.”

He’s lying. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t know anything. You’ve only gotten this far because of me. You can’t get rid of me, you’d end back where you started. You’d end up with nothing. Your fans only care because of what you give them. They’d leave as soon as you stopped. You can’t stop. Not yet. Only a bit more. Just a bit more…

“The voice is back, Nick. It says so many things. I know they’re not true but I can’t stop.” 

Now Clay could feel his eyes start filling. He leaned forward, placing his forehead on his brother’s shoulder. Sapnap took the weight easily, still lightly tapping on Dream’s knees to keep him grounded.

“When did you sleep?” came Sapnap’s voice, quieter to avoid overstimulating Dream. This wasn’t the worse he’d seen his friend like this but silently he cursed himself for not noticing sooner. Usually, he’d have seen Dream slowly missing meals, not noticing when the sunlight left his room, him getting quieter and quieter and the constant scribbling on every piece of paper within his reach. But it’d been a while and he’d hoped that maybe it was over. This wasn’t his fault. But he blamed himself anyways.

“I don’t know.” came the whispered reply, “Do you remember?”

Sapnap took a deep breath. 

“I think it was a few days ago, bud. Let’s get you to bed.”

“No!” 

Dream’s head shot up, surprising Sapnap. Tears were streaming from the eyes that were now frantically looking back at him.

“I need to write. There’s so much more to do, Sap.”

“Clay, no. You’ve done all the work for tonight-”

_He’s trying to stop you. He wants you to fail._

Dream finally stood up. He screamed back at the voice that was taunting him, had taunted him for days, for years, had taken away so much of his life.

“No, he doesn’t! He’s my best friend! He knows what’s right!”

Dream looked down at his brother, who had fallen back at his second quick action.

“You know what’s right. I trust you.” Dream said quietly, offering Nick his hand.

Sapnap smiled slightly and took the help, standing with the older boy in the semi-darkness for a moment before placing a comforting hand on Dream’s back and leading him away from the light of the computer, away from all the words. Dream collapsed into his bed, barely conscious as Sapnap pulled the blankets around him.

“Nick…” he was able to say as his eyes fluttered closed and his hand brushed Sapnap’s forearm, unable to raise it more than a few inches as sleep started pulling him down.

“Stay?”

Sapnap smiled at the request, as he did every time Dream made it.

“I’m here, brother. I’ve got you.” 

And so he sat at Dream’s side, ready to fend off the light.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter if you'd like! [kyrakaekiwi](https://twitter.com/kyrakaekiwi)


End file.
